GB2183387A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display plate 2 is formed with fine meshes by lattices, parallel lines, radial lines or their combinations in ground colours or background colours, and a shading plate 5 to be overlapped over the rear side of the display plate is also formed with the same or different meshes at the corresponding parts of said meshes. If the display plate and the shading plate are moved relatively, Moiré phenomena are caused in the meshes of the display plate in accompaniment with the position discrepancy between both meshes, so that blinking or winking are effected in the display plate. The display device may use flat plates moved by linkages (Figs 2, 3, not shown); alternatively, the device may use cooperating belts, cylinders or cones (for lampshades, Figs 7, 8, not shown) or use cooperating discs (for clockfaces, Figs 11, 12, not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display device The present invention relates to a display device of the type which is used in signboards, information or directional signs, indoor or outdoor ornamental plates, lamp shades, clockfaces orthe like.

Some known display devices lightthe backside of displays. This kind of device is more effective in illumination than others by external lighting, since the displays clearly appear in the backside. There are proposed ones made more attractive by turning on and off inside illuminations, changing the amount of light or using light sources having a plurality of different colours.

Further,onetypemovesthedisplayitselfas barber's signboards, oranothertype moves one of two overlapped sheets of display plates forgiving a va ri ety of d isp I ayed patterns.

But, intheturning on and offofthe light source inherentintheforegoing displaydevices,thechan- ging ofthe light amount is too large, orthe interval of on-and-offcannot be shortened morethanadeter- mined period, and so the display is hard to see. On the other hand, since the existing devices which move the patterns as the barber's signboard move and changethe large pattern, it is not preferable to such a case that the same pattern is continued and made attractive.

At the present time, the known types as mentioned above have been widely used and become out-ofdate, and novel and interesting substitutions thereof have been desirous.

The present invention seeks to provide a display device which changes very finely original colours of a display plate of brightness of its background without changing the display arrangement, so asto create attractions with new sensibility, or turning on and off the light source at the rear side and changing the light amount.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a display device comprising: a) a display plate drawn with displays, having transparency in a ground colourora background thereof and formed with meshes; b) one or more sheets ofshading plate overlapped on said display plate, and drawn with the meshes at corresponding parts to the meshes ofthe display plate; and c) a driving means provided to at least one ofthe display plates and the shading plate.

In orderthatthe invention may be betterunderstood, several embodiments thereofwill now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure lisa perspective view showing one emb odimentofa displaydeviceaccordingtotheinven- tion; Figure2 is an exploded view ofthe above device; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a drive means for a shading plate; Figure 4 is a perspective view of another drive means of the shading device; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a further drive means ofthe shading plate; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodi mentofthe invention;; Figures 7and 8 are a perspective view and a vertically cross sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the invention; Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of a sixth embodimentofthe invention, seen from thefront side and the rear side; and Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views of a seventh embodiment ofthe in vention, seen from the frontsideand the the rearside.

Figure 1 is the perspective view of a first embodiment according to the invention, and a casing 1 is arranged with display plates 2 at a front face thereof and a rear side (not seen), respectively. The display plate 2 has displays 3a, 3b such as patterns, letters and others, and backgrounds 4a, 4b. The pattern 3a of Satu rn is formed with meshes comprising oblique parallel lines in its ground colour, while a part3bof the sun is formed with meshes comprising radial fine lines in its ground colour. The background 4a is formed with lattice line meshes of unequal spaces as logarithm graph. The background is opaque.

In the present embodiment, the patterns and backgrounds are prepared by sticking transpa rent films printed with patterns or backgrounds to the back side of the display plate 2 made of an acryl transparent plate, or may be directly printed to the surface of the back of the transparent display board.

The display board 2 is provided with a shading plate 5 at its rear side as seen in the dissolved per spective view of Figure 2. Parts ofthe shading plate 5 corresponding to said meshes of the display board 2 are formed with meshes. In the present board 2 are formed with meshes. In the present embodiment, the corresponding parttotheradiantmeshofthe display board 2 is formed with the same radiant mesh and the patterns 3a orthe background 4a are formed with the vertical parallel lines orthe oblique lattice like mesh. It is not necessary to make the shape ofthe mesh ofthe shading plate 5 agreetothe mesh of the display board 2, but the shape of the mesh of the shading plate 5 may be changed as shown in the same background 4a.It is preferable that the mesh of the shading plate 5 is formed larger than the meshes of the patterns 3a, 3b, taking it into consideration that the shading plate 5 and the display board 2 are moved relatively.

Said display board 2 and shading plate 5 are positioned in rails 6 provided at the sides ofthefrontopening part of the casing 1. The former is fixed in the rail and the latter is vertically movable along the rails.

At the bottom within the casing 1,there is provided arrive means for vertically moving the shading plate 5. Any one will do forth drive means, and that of this embodiment comprises, as shown in Figure 3, a motor 7, an eccentric shaft 8 fixed to an output shaft thereof, and a link 10 communicated with said eccentricshaft8via an oblong hole9formedtherein.

The link 10 is held by a fulcrum 11 fixed to the bottom of the casing 1, and is connected at ends to the rear sides ofthe shading plates 5.

In this embodiment,sincethe casing 1 is provided with the display boards 2 at the front and rear sides, respectively, the shading boards and the driving links 10 are also provided back and forth, accordingly.

Light sources 13 are provided afterthe shading plate 5 vertically moved by said drive means, i.e. at the central position of the casing 1 . The lightsources in this embodiment are a plurality offluorescent lamps, and the number thereof is not limited so long asthose emitthe lighttothe outsidethrough the meshes of the display board 2 and the shading plate 5.

With respect to the present display device having the above-mentioned structure, when the eccentric shaft8 is rotated bythe motor7,the link 10 connec- ted to the shaft 8 is rotated around the fulcrum 11, and the shading plate 5 connected to the end ofthe link 10is moved vertically thereby. The speed ofthe vertical movement may be selected appropriately.

Being too fast, the stripe patterns effected by interfering phenomena ofthe light move too fast. Thus, moderate speed is preferableforobtaining blinking or winkling changes of the patterns.

When the shading plate 5 is moved vertically at the rear side ofthe display board 2, the meshes formed in these both are discrepant each other, and the lines of both meshes are overlapped or separated. That is, observing finely, the transparent parts between the meshes ofthe patterns ofthe board 2 or the background are opened and closed due to the lines ofthe meshesofthe rearshading plate5.Asa result,the light from the light source 13 is interrupted in very fine intervals. Thereby, the patterns ofthe background look blinking orwinking, so that the obser vers are attracted.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment ofthe invention, and the display board 2 and the casing 1 have the same structure as in thefirstembodiment, but the shading plate 5to be provided within the casing 1 is rotated along the surface ofthe display plate 2. A pulley 21 is secured on the output shaft of a motor20, and a belt 23 is wound between said pulley 21 and another pulley 22, and eccentric shafts 24,25 are mounted on said pulleys 21,22, and the shading plate5 issupported atits upperboth ends by said eccentric shafts 24,25.

According to such a structure, the shading plate 5 is rotated in parallel with the surface of the display board 2 by the eccentric shafts 24,25 rotated by the motor 20, so that patterns are moved in more complication than the mere vertical movement in the first embodiment, and in spite ofthe same pattern and mesh,the blinking orwinking conditions are made different.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the display board 2 and the casing 1 have the same structure as in the second embodiment, and the shading plate within the casing 1 are moved laterally.

Ashading plate 20 is composed of a belt like member comprising a transparent film printed with meshes. The belt like shading plate 30 is guided on rubber rollers 31 atfourcorners, and when one roller is driven buy a motor32, a belt 33 and pulleys 34,35, the shading plate 30 is moved endlessly.

Depending upon such a belt like shading plate, the arrangement of the mesh and the patterns on the shading plate may be more multiplied than the board like shading plate, and patterns and background of the display plate may be changed more variously.

Further, the shading plate has four faces.

As seen in the exploded and perspective view of Figure 6, a further embodiment is composed ofcylindrical members disposed coaxially with the display plate and the shading plate.

The display plate 40 and the shading plate 41 are composed of cylindrical members oftransparent synthetic resin, and are coaxially disposed inside and outside of a supporttube 42 which is also composed ofthe same substance. The members are coaxially overlapped in the order of the shading plate 41,the supporttube 42 and the display plate 40from the inside. The intermediate support tube 42 is higherthan the othertwo, and ifthis device is placed on a flat surface, onlythe supporttube 42 contactsto the flat surface.

The display plate is drawn with patterns and background on the surface thereof as in each ofthepre- ceding embodiments, and its transparent part is formed with the meshes. The inside shading plate 41 is also formed with the meshes. These meshes may be the same over the display plate 40 and the shading plate 41, but in this embodiment,the roughness, spaces and directions of the mesh are made different per each of the parts ofthe plates or by the display plate 40 and the shading plate 41 as in the first embodiment.

At the upper part ofthe supporttube42, a support member 43 ofthe drive means is fixed in diameter of the supporttube 42, and a drive means 44 having a motor is provided.on thesupportmember43. Said drive means is incorporated with two motors 45,46 rotating in opposition for the display plate 40 and the shading plate41. On the other hand, at the upper parts ofthe display plate 40 and the shading plate 41, support members 47,48 are provided. The support member 47 held by the display plate 40 is provided at the upper part of the drive means, and the other member48 held to the shading plate 41 is provided at the lower part of the support member 43.An output shaft of the motor45forthe display plate is secured at the centre ofthe support member47 and an output shaft of the motor 46 is secured at the centre ofthe support member 48 ofthe shading plate.

As is seen, the display plate and the shading plate are cylindrical, and light sources 49 are positioned in the central room. As the light source, one example of this embodiment is a ring shaped fluorescent lamp and is furnished on a stand 50 two be placed on theflat surface.

Figure 6 omits an electric code of the light source 49, a stabiliserfor the fluorescent lamp and a power source of the drive device 44.

When the light source 49 is turned on andthe motors 45,46 for the drive device 44 are actuated, the display plate 40 and the shading plate 41 are rotated in opposite directions via the support members 47, 48 connected to the output shafts ofthe motors 45, 46. Then, the patterns drawn in the display plate 40 and the shading plate 41 or the meshes in the back- ground displace one another, so that the pattern stripes move on the display plate 40 due to the interfering phenomena ofthe light as in the first embodiment, thereby enabling to bring about a desired displaying effect.

Figures 7 and 8 show a fifth embodiment of the invention which is applied to a lamp shade.

The display plate 60 and the shading plate 61 of this embodiment are conical with flat upper parts.

They are both, as seen in Figure 8, overlapped so that the display plate 60 is outside. A stand 63 is positioned in an inside room, on which a motor 64 is housed, and the output shaft of the motor passes through the upper part ofthe stand 63 and that ofthe shading plate 61 and is fixed at the centre ofthedis- play plate 60. Said output shaft is secured with a bevel gear 65 which is in mesh with a third bevel gear 67 fixed atthe centre ofthe shading plate 61 via a bevel gear 66 rotatably mounted on the stand 63. At the outer circumference of the stand 63, there are light sources 68 comprising ring shaped fluorescent lamps.

When the motor 64 is driven, the display plate 60 directly held to the output shaft thereof is rotated and at the sametimethe shading plate 61 is rotated in opposite direction to the display plate 60, which shading plate 61 is associated via the bevel gears 65 to 67. Subsequently, the patterns of both the meshes ofthe background slip off one another, andtwinkle stripe patterns appear.

In a sixth embodiment, a display plate 70 and a shading plate 71 are moved in parallel as seen from Figures 9 and 10, wherein an external illuminating device orthe natural light are used instead ofincor- porating the light source within the device, though each ofthe preceding embodiments houses the light source within the device.

The display plate 70 is larger in vertical length than the shading plate 71. Theformer has guides 72,72 at both sidesthereoffor embracing the shading plate 71. At the centre of the lower part of the display plate 70, U-shaped support metal 73 is secured at a rear side of which a motor74 is positioned, and an output shaftthereof is projected to the central space of said metal 73. An arm 75 is provided at said central space, the arm 75 being secured to the outputshaftofthe motor74. A roller 76 is provided at an end of said arm 75 and supports the lower side ofthe shading plate 71.

When the motor 74 is driven, the arm 75 fixed to the output shaft is rotated, and the roller 76 draws an arc around the output shaft. Then, the shading plate 71 supported by the roller76 is guided bythe guides 72,72, and moves vertically in parallel with the display plate 70. As a result, the mesh on the display plate 70 and the mesh on the shading plate 71 are discrepant each otherto bring about a desired displaying effect.

A seventh embodiment overlaps a display plate 80 and a shading plate 81 coaxially on discs, and moves them in rotating direction. If a clockface is drawn in the shading plate 81 and a clock is drawn in the display plate 80, the present embodiment may be used preferably as the clockface having an ornamental function, and this may be used as other display devices.

A motor 82 is secured at the rear side of the shading plate 81, and the output shaft thereof passes through the centre of the shading plate 81 and is fixed atthe centre of the display plate 80. Therefore, when the motor 82 is driven, the display plate 80 is rotated with respect to the shading plate 81, and the meshes of both platesslip off,therebyto effecta des- ired displaying.

The present invention includestheabove- mentioned various embodiments, but is not limited to all ofthem and has understated otherembodiments: a. The shading plate is not always one sheet, but plural sheets may be overlapped atthe rear side of the display plate. In such a case, if the shading plate is changed per each of the moving directions orthe meshes are changed in shape or arrangement, the patterns due to changing ofthe light amount are complicated and become more interesting.

b. Instead of shading the whole rear part ofthe display plate, such a shading plate may be provided which moves in a different direction per part ofthe display plate.

c. The supporttube is not used in the fourth emb- odiment, but the shading plate is fixed as the fifth embodiment and the display plate only is moved, or reversely the display plate is fixed and the shading plate only is moved.

d. In the fifth, sixth and seventh embodiments, it is possibleto movethedisplay platewhilefixing the shading plate.

e. Asa light source, an incandescentelectric lamp or other known means may be used otherthan the fluorescent lamps in the above embodiments.

f. Instead of rotating the cylindrical display plate and shading plate each other in the fourth embodiment, one ofthem may be moved vertically with re specttothe other.

g. Substituting forthe cylindrical orconical plates in thefourth or the fifth embodiments, such display plates or shading plates of polygonal tube or polygonal conical shape may be used.

h. Segment plates may be substituted forthe disc plates ofthe seventh embodiment.

As stated above, according to the display devices ofthe invention, it is possibleto maketheground colours or background blinking ortwinkling without turning the light source on and off, changing the light amount, whereby quite peculiar displaying effects may be realised. Especially, depending on the interferring phenomena of the light via the meshes, the patterns ofthe display plate or the background look as if they move finely. The displaying effects thereby never be obtained by making use ofthe sunshining, startwinkling or reflections of the waves.

Claims (13)

1. Adisplay device comprising: a) a display plate drawn with displays, having transparency in a ground colourora background thereof and formed with meshes; b) one or more sheets of shading plateoverlapped on said display plate, and drawn with the meshes at corresponding parts to the meshes of the display plate; and c) a driving means provided to at leastone ofthe display plates and the shading plate.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,whereinthe shading plate is disposed atthe rearside ofthe display plate.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display and shading plates are flat discs, and said driving means movesthe shading plate in parallel with the display plate.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display plate and the shading plate are the flat discs coaxially provided, and the driving means rotates the shading plate along the surface of the display plate.

5. Thedeviceasclaimed in claim 1,whereinthe display plate and the shading plate are cylindrical members coaxially overlapped, and the driving means rotates the shading plate with respect to the display plate, around the shaft passing through both plates.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display plate and the shading plate are conical members coaxially overlapped, and the driving means rotates the shading plate with respectto the display plate, around the shaft passing through both plates.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display plate is flat, and the shading plate is composed of a belt like member, and a driving means thereof is actuated endlessly.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the meshes ofthe display plate orthe shading plate is composed of network members ofthe display plate ortheshading plate.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the meshes ofthe display plate orthe shading plate is printed with mesh patterns on the surface of the transparent plate.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the meshes ofthe display plate ortheshading plate are those printed with meshes stuck to a transparent film.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the meshes ofthe display plate orthe shading plate are those combined of plural meshes different in spaces, directions, thickness in response to a displaying positions ofthe display plate or the shading plate.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the meshes ofthe display plate orthe shading plateare formed at displays or background parts thereof.

13. Adisplaydevicesubstantiallyashere- in before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.